Update: US Declares National Health Emergency; Close the Borders! Swine Flu Outbreak
UPDATE:
The U.S. is declaring a public health emergency to deal with the emerging new swine flu.
The precautionary step doesn’t signal a greater threat to Americans. But it allows the federal and state governments easier access to flu tests and medications.
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napilotano says roughly 12 million doses of the drug Tamiflu are being released from a federal stockpile so that states can get it if needed.
The death toll in Mexico has risen to 81 caused by the recent swine flu outbreak. The swine flu is not just confined to Mexico, and the latest reports disclose that 8 students in New York City are infected, 2 people in Kansas have been confirmed and there have been cases in Texas and California.
Barack Obama was also greeted by a man who had the swine flu and recently passed due to the aggressive nature of the virus. Robert Gates has stated that Obama’s health is fine and there are no signs of any of the flu-like symptoms that come with the virus.
“The president’s trip to Mexico has not put his health in any danger,” said spokesman Robert Gibbs.
The World Health Organization’s director-general, Margaret Chan, said the outbreak of the never-before-seen virus is a very serious situation and has “pandemic potential.” Obama was in Mexico last week to meet with top government officials and talk about the growing problem with drug smuggling and border violence.
Now is not the time to listen to the babbling of Janet Napolitano about border control. This is the perfect time and reason to close down the borders. Like the Democrats always say, “Never waste a crisis.” Congressman Eric Massa (D-N.Y.) made a plea to close the borders on Saturday:
The “swine flu” that has infected more than 1,000 people in Mexico has led a lawmaker on the House Homeland Security Committee to call on U.S. officials to close the southern border.
Rep. Eric Massa (D-N.Y.) said the border should be closed until the threat is resolved.
“The public needs to be aware of the serious threat of swine flu, and we need to close our borders to Mexico immediately and completely until this is resolved,” Massa said in a statement.
“I am making this announcement because I see this as a serious threat to the health of the American public and I do not believe this issue is receiving the attention it needs to have in the news,” Massa said.
The CDC has stated that it is too late to stop an outbreak of swine flu and several governors that have constituents infected by this virus are calling on the CDC to provide them with antiviral medications to prepare for the worst:
Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX) Saturday asked the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for 37,430 courses of antiviral medications from the Strategic National Stockpile as a precaution after three cases of swine flu were confirmed in Texas.
The medication will be available for treatment of those with confirmed or suspected cases of swine flu as well as for healthcare providers who may come into contact with the patients, Perry said.
All three of the Texas cases involved high school students from the same school in Guadalupe County.
The first two became ill in early April and on Thursday test results confirmed both had swine flu.
The third student became ill until this past week.
Please, let’s pray and keep our fingers crossed that this does not become a large pandemic that sweeps the nation or is a form of bio-terrorism. Keep those afflicted in your thoughts and prayers.
For key statistics and FAQ’s on the swine flu visit the CDC link…
